University of Plymouth
UCAS Code: F850 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
104 - 112 points from a minimum of 2 A Levels, at least one science related subject preferred.
Considered in combination
Pass an Access to HE Diploma (Science related) with at least 33 credits at Merit and to include at least 12 credits at Merit in a relevant science.
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Maths and English accepted within
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
104 to 112 ucas points - to include a science subject: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental, Psychology, Geography, Geology, Applied Science, Use of Maths, Biology, Human Biology, Statistics, Design Technology. Maths and English Language considered within
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Relevant Science subject preferred but not mandatory
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
104 - 112 points to include a minimum of 2 Scottish Advanced Highers
Considered in combination with Advanced Highers
T Level
Science/technology related subjects.
UCAS Tariff
104 - 112 points from a minimum of 2 A Levels one science subject preferred.
Considered in combination
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Environmental scientists are critical to addressing global environmental challenges. Your degree will provide you with the knowledge and skills to identify and develop solutions to a wide range of environmental challenges on land and in our oceans, including climate change, biodiversity loss, conservation and sustainability. Applying the latest techniques in the laboratory and the field, you will graduate ready to shape the future of fields from ecosystem management to environmental monitoring.
- In the 2022 National Student Survey (NSS), 100% of students agreed that staff were good at explaining things and 93% were satisfied with the quality of the course.
- Benefit from enthusiastic, supportive staff and teaching informed by our renowned research.
- Take part in fieldwork in the UK and/or overseas in a variety of locations.
- Flexible workspace, computing facilities, experimental glasshouses, specialist software, access to microscopes, microscope cameras and bespoke resources.
- Work placements – enhance your employability by gaining work experience via an optional 6 week or 6–12 month work placement in the UK, EU or further overseas.
- Take the opportunity to spend your second year studying abroad in Europe, Canada, Australia, USA or elsewhere through our bilateral and ISEP exchange programmes.
- Qualify as a professional diver (HSE SCUBA) as part of your third year of study.
- Benefit from an Environmental Science Careers Fair to build your all-important employer networks and share career success stories from our graduates.
- Our tutorial programme provides invaluable transferable skills, small group and one-to-one support. Our externally recognised Peer Assisted Learning (PALS) scheme helps increase your confidence with support from student mentors.
- A diverse and respectful place in which to work and study is fundamental to everything we do.
Modules
In your first year, you'll establish solid foundations across a range of scientific, legal and economic subject areas in order to explore environmental challenges and enable you to propose solutions. Field and laboratory work are key, and our residential field course promotes team building and provides you with an opportunity to gain experience with scientific equipment and data interpretation. Your personal tutor will support and guide you throughout the course.
Year 2 covers the themes of economics and resources, global sustainable development and environmental law and policy. Your research skills will be developed through a residential field course in the UK or overseas. Our optional diving module will qualify you for underwater work with the HSE SCUBA certification. You'll also have the opportunity to study the following topics: biodiversity and conservation; climate change; marine conservation; environmental management.
You can take an optional placement year before completing your degree, an invaluable opportunity to gain workplace experience from research institutes, companies and government organisations. Previous placements have included the Marine Biological Association (marine ecology, surveying and conservation), Pell Frischmann (environmental consultancy), the National Trust (landscape and habitat conservation), Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (species inventories), and the Eden Project (ecological studies).
In the final year, you will develop an understanding of concepts and practice of environmental impact assessment. You’ll learn how to debate and evaluate contemporary environmental issues, and your research project will see you working alongside world-leading scientists in state-of-the-art facilities. A choice of modules across four pathways allows you to pursue interests within the areas of climate change, environmental management and sustainability, biodiversity and conservation, and marine conservation.
The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website.
Assessment methods
For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.
The Uni
University of Plymouth
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Environmental sciences
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Environmental sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Environmental sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£25k
£26k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Course location and department:
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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